Custom Yamaha by Marcus Walz to Represent INTERMOT 2018

INTERMOT in Cologne has become one of the premier motorcycle trade events giving manufacturers and a plethora of companies that support them an opportunity to show off their new wares, and give motorcycle fans an opportunity to see the latest trends.

In 2016, the organizers introduced a customized bike just for the show. The success of that show within the show convinced them it was worth doing again, so the 2018 INTERMOT custom is a Yamaha XV950R that Marcus Walz has turned into his version of a drag bike. Walz converted a Scrambler by Ducati into a cafe racer for the 2016 show.

The custom Yammie will be shown at races and venues around Europe as a run up to the main event in October 2018. Walz was allowed to have his way with the bike, and that included modifying the fuel tank, completely redesigning the “drag-style” tail section, fitting it with a very lightweight custom exhaust system and one-off rear shocks, and changing out the front forks.

Walz' team reworked the engine to bump up the power from 60 hp to 70 hp so the bike could be competitive in the sprint events.

The Yamaha drag-style bike saw its first public appearance at the Essenza Sprint series at the Café Racer Festival in Montlhéry, France on June 10. Famous stuntwoman,motorcycle acrobat and model Mai-Lin Senf was the rider. The next stop is the Glemseck 101 Sprint Festival on September 1, 2017 and Christoph Werner is tapped to be on the starting grid.

The Essenza Sprint series is different than other sprint series in that the winner isn't just the first across the line, but also the bike with the best styling and overall package. If you can't make the races, you can see and vote for your favorite bike(s) now at http://www.essenza-the-essence-of-motorcycles.com/en/voting/